Slide Fire Updates

The Slide Fire is now 55 percent contained and 21,067 acres. Crews continue mop-up operations and chipping and rehabilitation work. All burnouts are complete and crews are beginning to leave the area. Also, smoke levels are expected to decrease.

At 1 p.m. today, the mandatory evacuation order will be lifted for Oak Creek Canyon.

The Slide Fire in its beginnings shot from the Oak Creek Vista on Wed, May 21.

Credit Ryan Heinsius

Update, 9:30 p.m., Tue, May 27:

The Slide Fire is now 45 percent contained and 20,369 acres. Crews continue mop-up operations including chipping and rehabilitation work.

The Slide Fire is 35 percent contained and 20,328 acres. During Memorial Day, crews completed the final perimeter burnout of the fire, which now totals about 40 miles. Also, personnel completed the removal of hazardous trees along Hwy. 89A that had been damaged during the fire and posed a safety risk.

Today crews will work on holding the containment line on the western edge of the fire. They'll also conduct low-intensity burnout operations within the fire's perimeter and begin implementing fire rehabilitation guidelines provided by the Coconino National Forest. More than 1,000 personnel remain on scene.

Today: Fire personnel continued to work on rehabilitating fire line from Slide Rock State Park north to the 89A switchbacks and west along the north and northwest flanks. Crews used hand ignition to promote a low-intensity burn due to the higher temperatures and lower humidity. Arizona Public Service personnel removed hazard trees throughout Oak Creek Canyon.

Tonight: Burnout operations will continue overnight along Woody Mountain Road (FSR 231) near West Buzzard Point to complete the containment buffer. Line preparation for burnout operations will continue on the western flank. Smoke is anticipated to settle over the larger fire area this evening. Motorists please be aware of diminished visibility and wildlife. For information on air quality, please visit the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website at:http://www.phoenixvis.net/PPMmain.aspx

The Slide Fire is 25 percent contained and now 16,365 acres in size. Crews made significant progress Sunday in completing burnout operations between West Fork and the northern boundary of the fire along Forest Road 535. Helicopters dropped ignition devices to assist with those operations, which helped prevent the fire from moving further north. Overnight crews also conducted burns along Woody Mountain Road on the southwest flank of the fire.

Monday crews will continue these operations and will also begin rehabilitation work along Hwy. 89A and the developed areas along the southwest corner of the fire in Oak Creek Canyon.

Officials report that the Slide Fire is now 25 percent contained and 14,100 acres. Burnout operations continue on the northwest and west sides of the blaze. Fire activity was suppressed today by smoke and cloud cover. The intensity of the fire has been decreased significantly by back-burn operations. More than 1,200 personnel are on scene.

The Slide Fire is now reported to be 13,423 acres and is now 10 percent contained. Crews have made significant progress especially near the Sterling Springs Hatchery and Hwy. 89A, which has been the trigger point for evacuations of some areas south of Flagstaff. Officials report that fire behavior was suppressed Saturday by cloud cover and smoke in the area. More than 1,200 personnel are on scene battling the blaze.

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office announced that the pre-evacuation warning for residents of Kachina Village and Forest Highlands will be lifted at noon on Mon, May 26.

The Slide Fire is now estimated to be 11,800 acres in size and is 5 percent contained. The weather surrounding the fire caused a smoke inversion that prevented crews from conducting aerial burnout operations until later in the in evening.

Crews continued burnout operations in the area between the West Fork , Forest Road 535 and Woody Mountain Road. The fire is slowly moving up West Fork and onto the top of Buzzard Ridge and Barney Pasture. Mop up activities by crews continued around structures in Oak Creek Canyon.

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office announced that the pre-evacuation warning for residents of Kachina Village and Forest Highlands will be lifted at noon on Mon, May 26.

The Slide Fire remains at 10,609 acres and 5 percent containment. Due to the weather conditions, observation aircraft and helicopters used for aerial ignition in burnout operations have been temporarily grounded. But, crews are continuing burnout operations by hand in the area between West Fork and Forest Road 535.

The Slide Fire is now estimated to be 10,609 acres and is still 5 percent contained. Burnout operations continue near the Hwy. 89A switchbacks and the north flank of the fire near Forest Road 535. Overnight, crews worked to remove fuel from the area surrounding a power line that brings electricity to Flagstaff. Residents of Forest Highlands and Kachina Village remain on a pre-evacuation warning, but no new evacuations have been announced.

Much of the fire is burning in extremely steep and rugged terrain where the safety of firefighters could be compromised. There have still been no injuries reported and no structures burned.

Forest officials report that the Slide Fire has grown to 8,500 acres and remains at 5 percent containment. Fire retardant was used heavily in steep terrain with positive results. Burnout operations will continue near the Hwy. 89A switchbacks to hold the northeast flank of the fire. Crews are also attempting to keep the fire west of 89A. For more info, see http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3874.

Related Content

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors has approved a ban on all fires on public and private lands in the unincorporated areas of the county effective immediately. The prohibition will remain until the danger of wildfire decreases.

The ban applies to all open fires, campfires and other pyrotechnic displays. The Board of Supervisors had previously banned the use and sale of fireworks in the county.

As a result of drought conditions, hot temperatures and increased fire danger, officials have announced elevated fire restrictions for the Tonto National Forest beginning Fri, May 23 at 8 a.m. The new restrictions prohibit virtually all fire or fire-causing activities in the forest. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or charcoal-burning device is banned.